THE STUDENTS’ UNION in Maynooth University have described a postcard it received as “disturbing” and “sick”.
The postcard, which is purportedly from the “No way is Ireland Gay Campaign” associates supporters of the marriage equality referendum to pedophilia and child sex abuse.
The postcard is promoting a Vote No campaign for marriage equality and states that “Jimmy Saville, Gary Glitter and Rolf Harris all propagated Homosexual ‘Marriage’.”
Posting the postcard on its Facebook page, the union it does not have any issues with people who may wish to run either a yes or a no campaign in the upcoming referendum, but that campaigns of misinformation like this need to be shut down.
… these sly and heinous remarks incite hatred, discrimination and compares those who support marriage equality to those who have been convicted of sexual abuse and pedophilia.
The union believes it received the card as Maynooth student representatives are going to vote today on whether or not a Pride flag should be raised on campus in support of equality.
This form of hate mongering is disturbing and represents a completely misleading, highly offensive campaign against supporters of equality. Maynooth Students Union will endeavour to prevent such materials being distributed around our campus and we would ask you to do the same.
Speaking on Today FM, MSU President Ben Finnegan said the postcard was “sick” and “misleading”.
He said no other student unions received a postcard, just Maynooth.
“Everyone is outraged and I implore no one to take it serious. If anything, it has inspired me to campaign for a proper information campaign,” he said.
Finnegan said he was shocked when he received it stating that a lot of the student members are from the LGBT community. It is an issue that affects many of our friends and family, he added.
Campaigns of this kind need to “shut down” straight away, said Finnegan.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say